Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

1 8 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I R ising from the deep, shrouded in cloud and mystery, the remote Kuril Islands make for a magnificent sight. Stretching 1,300km northeast fromHokkaido, Japan all the way to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, this volcanic archipelago is one of the last outposts of a land less trodden. Forming part of an area of tectonic instability in the Pacific Ocean referred to as the ‘Ring of Fire’, the resulting landscape ranges from temperate to sub-Arctic climate types, resulting in virgin forests, rocky shores, wide rivers and snow-capped peaks. For superyacht owners and charter guests on the hunt for explorative ‘off the beaten track’ travel, the Kuril Islands – which are flanked by the Sea of Okhotsk to the west and the north Pacific Ocean to the east – more than deliver. Only accessed by air or water, and with no roads or railways connecting Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to the outside world, wildlife thrives in this isolated landscape. Pink salmon spawn in abundance providing a feeding frenzy in the summer months for the 20,000 brown bears that roam the volcanic terrain. Migrating orca whales pass through the icy waters on their way north, while near-threatened Stellar sea lions languor salubriously on the black-ash shoreline. Providing an island hopping itinerary like no other, the most direct route is to fly into Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport on the Kamchatka Peninsula where yachts can provision and bunker fuel, before heading south and navigating the deep waters of the islands. Hokkaido in northern Japan also provides refuelling facilities, but the vast area is ideally suited to long-range explorer yachts that can remain self-sufficient for prolonged stretches of time, says Nick Davies, Director of Projects at Cookson Adventures, which is proactively chartering yachts in the area. “Historically, bureaucratic complications have made it difficult to explore these relatively unchartered waters, but now an increasing number of yacht owners are looking to venture forth,” he says. “We’ve done a huge amount of research with local suppliers and contacts on the ground so that we have what is required to make it happen.” Originally inhabited by the native Ainu people, today all 56 islands fall under Russian jurisdiction. Nearly 30 of the islands’ 300 volcanoes still erupt with spectacular regularity, and towns and villages remain sparse.